The President of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Alhaji Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa and three other national officers of the union are currently being detained in Abuja by the Nigerian police over the leadership crisis rocking the union.
SaharaReporters gathered that Baruwa was invited to a meeting by the FCT Commissioner of police, Haruna Garba on Wednesday which was also attended by the faction of Musiliu Akinsanya, aka MC Oluomo, who was formerly leading the disbanded Lagos Park Management Committee.
Also, there was a clash between the two factions of the NURTW in Abuja on Tuesday.
A source who spoke to SaharaReporters said Baruwa honoured the invitation believing that the meeting would address the purpose it was meant for, not knowing that it was an attempt to lure him.
Baruwa was said to be accompanied to the FCT Police Command by the union’s General Secretary, Anthony Chukwudi Asogwa, Deputy General Secretary, Abdulkadir Musa and one other officer whose name could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report.
It was gathered that they were detained and subsequently moved to the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) facility located in Guzape popularly known as abattoir.
Meanwhile the Lagos State Park Management Committee led by Alhaji Tajudeen Agbede who forcefully
took over the secretariat of the union located at Garki 2 after a violent attack on the national officers and staff of the were not detained but allowed to go freely.
Baruwa had on several occasions raised the alarm and sought the intervention of the Nigerian Police and Department of State Services (DSS) over the plot by the MC Oluomo’s group to launch a violent attack on the secretariat but the security operatives feigned ignorance.
Surprisingly the group eventually carried out the attack on August 28, 3023 under the watch of armed security agents deployed to provide security.
The situation forced the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to give Nigerian Police 48 hours to vacate the secretariat of the union or face shutdown
In a communiqué signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, the union had threatened it would muster all its affiliates for a showdown in support of what it said is the legally elected NURTW leadership.
It had accused the Nigeria Police Force of interfering in the internal affairs of NURTW and other unions, saying the police have usurped powers of arbitration in disputes, contrary to the dictates of statutes governing industrial relations.
It had alleged that the Inspector General of Police acquiesced to invasion of the NURTW national secretariat to unseat the elected leadership and install a stooge.
It affirmed legality of the Baruwa-led leadership, warning that moves to upturn governance of the transport union could lead to violence.
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